Electric current carrying hinge with spring



L G.. WALTER, .JR 6%733 Uhmffr! `JRRIEIN'T CARRYNG HINGE WITH SPRING Filed June 2l, 1952 Patented Sept. 7, 1954 ELECTRIC CURRENT CARRYING HINGE WITH SPRING Leonard G. Walter, Jr., Evansville, Ind., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 21. 1952, Serial No. 294,865

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a hinge and more particularly to a hinge which will conduct an electric current from a stationary surface to a movable surface.

In order to keep butter in a useable condition within a refrigerator cabinet, it is necessary toI maintain it at a higher temperature than the food storage compartment of the cabinet. One common means of accomplishing this is to provide a butter keeper compartment mounted on the inner panel of the refrigerator door with a heating element positioned in heat exchange relation with the butter keeper. The heating element is generally an electrical unit having automatic means for controlling the flow of electric current thereto so that the butter keeper compartment will be maintained at a proper temperature. Most refrigerator cabinets are cooled by an electrically operated refrigeration system whereby there is a readily accessible supply of electrical current for the heating element. In order to provide a refrigerator cabinet which is neat in appearance, it is advantageous to provide the hinges of the compartment door with means for conveying an electrical current from the cabinet to the door.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a hinge which will conduct an electric current from a cabinet to a door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge comprising a hinge butt and hinge leaves which are connected by resilient means that biases the parts in a predetermined direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge in which the resilient means will conduct an electric current between the hinge butt and hinge leaves.

Another object of the invention is toprovide an electric current conducting hinge which is simple in structure and can be easily assembled and disassembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric current conducting hinge which is neat in appearance and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form o-f the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the hinge with a portion of a cabinet .and door being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hinge with portions broken away.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line ll-ll of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description of the invention, an electric current carrying hinge is designated generally by reference numeral IB. The hinge Il] is shown attached to a refrigerator` cabinet Il which comprises two spaced apart walls I2 and i3 with thermal insulating material lll disposed therebetween. Pivotally connected to the cabinet Il by hinge lil is a door I5 comprising spaced apart walls it and l'l having a suitable thermal insulating material I8 positioned therebetween. A rubber gasket I9 is secured to the door l5 by any suitable means whereby the space between the door l5 and the cabinet H will be sealed when the door l5 is in closed position. It is common to provide a refrigerator door, such as the one shown, with a butter compartment and to supply an electrical heating element for maintaining the compartment at a desired temperature. In order to provide a cabinet which is neat in appearance, it is advantageous to construct the hinge lil in such a manner that it will conduct an electric current from the cabinet Il to the door l5. In such a construction, there will be n0l need for unsightly electrical conducting wires between the door l5 and the cabinet Il.

In the present invention, the hinge I!) comprises a hinge leaf 2U and a pair of hinge butts 2| and 22 fashioned from any suitable non-electrical conducting material such as nylon, pheralformaldehyde compounds, melamine formaldehyde or some other molding plastic material. The hinge leaf 2li is generally rectangular shaped and lits into a depressed portion 23 provided in door l5. Two spaced apart holes 2t extend through the hinge leaf 2i) in which screws 25 are positioned and secured to the door i5 by nuts 26. The leaf 2li is provided with an enlarged cylindrical shaped portion 2l along one edge having a circular shaped depression 28 formed in the upper end 29 and a similar circular shaped depression 30 formed in the lower end 3l in axial alignment with depression 23. Two axially aligned cylindrical cavities 32 and 33 are provided along the center line of the depressions 28 and 30 respectively. The bottoms 34 and 35 of the cavities 32 and 33 respectively are located in spaced relationship. A conductor block 36 nts within cavity 32 against the bottom 3'4 thereof and a similar conductor block 31 fits within cavity 33 adjacent the bottom 35 thereof. Leaf 2U is provided with a post 38 which extends through an opening provided in the depressed portion 23 of the door I5. Two insulated wires 39 and 4S extend through openings provided in the leaf 20 .and are connected to the conductor blocks 36 and 31 respectively. The wires 39 and 45 are shown in the drawings as being broken but it is to be understood that they are to be connected to; a heating element or other electrical element disposed within the door I5.

The upper hinge butt 2l is provided with a flat portion which nts against the outer wall I3 of the cabinet I. provided in hinge butt 2| through which screws 42 extend with the inner ends thereof being secured to the wall I 3 by nuts 43. The butt ZI is provided with an offset portion 44 having a downwardly extending circular shaped projection 45. The outside diameter of the .projection 45 is slightly" smaller than the inside diameter or" the depressed portion 28 so that the projection 45 ts within the depression 2S! in sliding relationship. A cylindrical cavity le extends along the center line of the projection i5 so that it is in axial alignment with the caviy 32. A conductoi" block 41 is secured within the cavity 46 and an insulated wire 48 has one end connected to the block 41. The wire 48 extends through an opening provided in the butt 2I into the cabinet II and may be connected to a suitable electrical supply (not shown). Hinge butt 2I is provided with a post 49 which lits into an opening provided in the outer Wall i3 of the cabinet II.

The lower hinge butt 22 is spaced below the hinge butt 2| with an offset portion 5 5 extending below the hinge leafA 2i). A circular shaped projection I extends into the depression 39 in sliding relationship thereto. A cylindrical cavity 52 is provided in the projection 5I in axial alignment with the cavity 33 of the hinge leaf Ztl. Spaced apart slots 53 extend through the hinge butt 22V with screws 4,2 positioned therethrough which cooperate with nuts 43 for securing the hinge butt 22 to the outer wally I3 of the cabinet II.. A conductor block 5d is secured within the Cavity 52. and an insulated wire 55 has one end connected to the block 54. Hinge butt 22 is, provided with a post 56 which fits into an opening provided in the cabinet wall I3. The wire 55 extends through an opening provided in the hinge butt 22 into the cabinet II and may be connected to a power supply. readily seen from this description, the door I5 will be pivotally secured tothe cabinet II bythe hinge Iii. A plurality of hinges maybe provided if additional strength is required. As the door I5 is moved, the depressed portions 23 and 30 of the hinge leaf 2@ will rotate about the projections 45 and '5 l.

A coiled spring 5i is disposed within the cavities 32 and 45. The conductor block 36 is provided with a slot 58 in which the lower end 59 of the spring 51 is xedly secured. The upper end 694 of` the spring 5l is iixedly secured in a slot 6I provided in conductor block 41. The wire 48 extends through the conductor block 41 and is electrically connected to the upper end 60' of, the spring 51. The lower end 59 of. the spring 5,1.V is connectedrto the wire 39 in a similar manner. AA second coiled spring G2 is disposed within'the cavities 33 and 52 withthe upperend iiviixedly` secured inra'slot 64 provided in con- Two spaced apart slots 4I are As can be ductor block 4G and the lower end 65 fixedly secured in a slot 66 provided in the conductor block 54. The wire 4D is connected to conductor block 31 which is electrically connected to the upper end 53 of the spring 62 and the wire 55 is connected to conductor block 54 which contacts the lower end 65 of the spring 62. The two springs 51 and 62 as well as the conductor blocks 31, 41 and 5l?. are constructed from a material that is a good conductor of electricity so that an electrical current will be conducted from the wires 4t? and 55 to the wires 39 and The springs 5l and 62 may be calibrated to allow as much as a rotation of the hinge leaf 25. As the door I5 is opened, the springs 5 1 and 52 will be put in tension so that they will bias the door I5 toward closed position.

The hinge I0 can be easily assembled to the door I5 and cabinet II. If failure of one of the springs should occur, it can be easily reached by removing the adjacent hinge butt. The springs 51 and 62 are removably attached to the conductor blocks so that they can be easily replaced. From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the hinge IQ is neat in appearance and will conduct an electrical current from the cabinet II to thedoor I5.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

l. A hinge comprising a hinge leaf which is provided with a depressed portion, a hinge butt having a projection which is rotatively secured in said depressed portion, said hinge butt and said hinge leaf being formed of a material which is a poor conductor of electricity, said hinge leaf being provided with a first cavity along the center line of said depressed portion, said hinge butt being provided with a second cavity in axial alignment with said first cavity, a rst electrical conductor blocl; xedly secured inY said rst cavity, a second electrical conductor block fixedly secured in said second cavity, and a coiledspring positioned within said cavities with one end secured to said first conductorblock and the opposite end secured to said second conductor block, a first conductor mounted. through said hinge leaf andy connected. to said rst electrical conductor block, a second conductor mounted through said hingebutt and connected to said second electrical conductor block, whereby an electric current will be carried between said conductors by said` spring, and said. spring being formed to bias said hinge leaf in a predetermined direction.

2. A hinge comprising a hinge leaf having a substantially fiat body portion and a cylindrically shaped portion formed atA one longitudinal edge of said body portion, said cylindrically shaped portion having a pair o cylindricallyA shaped depressions formed in both. of the ends thereof, mounting means formed inv said body, portion of said hinge leaf whereby said hinge leaf is mountable to a cabinet door, a hinge butt formed of two separate elements, each of said elements formed to have a flat body portion and a cylindrically shaped portion formed at onelongitudinal edge thereof, saidcylindrically shaped portions of said hinge butt` elements, being adapted to engage the cylindrically shaped, depressions of said hinge leaf, mounting4 means formed in the at body portions of'said elements of said hinge butt, whereby said hinge butt is mountable to a cabinet in cooperation with said hinge leaf, a pair of cavities formed in said cylindrically shaped portion of said hinge leaf, said cavities positioned longitudinally therein along the center line of said cylindrically shaped depressions, a second pair of cavities formed in said cylindrically shaped portions of said elements of said hinge butt, said second pair of cavities positioned longitudinally therein along the center line thereof, whereby two closed cylindrical cavities are formed in said hinge, said hinge leaf and said hinge butt further formed of a material which is a poor conductor of electricity, four electrical conductor blocks xedly secured in each end of said closed cylindrical l5 a rst pair of electrical conductors, mounted through said hinge leaf, each of said rst pair of electrical conductors further connected to one of said electrical conductor blocks secured within said rst pair of cavities, and a second pair of electrical conductors, each of said second pair of electrical conductors mounted through one of said elements and connected to one of said electrical conductor blocks secured Within said second pair of cavities.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 384,102 Warner June 5, 1888 1,428,863 Smith Sept. 12, 1922 1,744,040 Elzer Jan. 21, 1930 1,873,363 Bangs Sept. 20, 1932 2,193,488 Morley Mar. 12, 1940 

